


First Impressions

by Skaboom



Category: Cobra Starship, The Academy Is...
Genre: College AU, I wrote this so long ago guys, M/M, mentions of sexual abuse, old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-17
Packaged: 2018-02-17 17:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2317103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skaboom/pseuds/Skaboom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Gabe gets to college, he assumes that he and his room mate will be best friends, but when he's paired up with a sour boy who can't stand Gabe's brightly colored wardrobe and constant smile, he has to snap quickly back to reality and make friends elsewhere. His room mate doesn't talk much, doesn't leave the room, and seems to hate him, but Gabe can't help feeling that something inside of the boy is screaming for his help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Back in college, I wrote A TON of Gabilliam slash, and just now realized I could post some of it here...I have NO idea if this fandom is still alive, but if it is, here's some Gabilliam I wrote years ago.

 The first time Gabe and William met, they were moving into their dorm room at NYU. Gabe was already moved in and unpacked when William entered. Gabe grinned, jumping down from the bed where he had been standing, hanging posters on the ceiling. He was wearing electric blue jeans, a lime green shirt, a purple hoodie and multi colored baseball cap.

  
            “I’m Gabe, you’re William, right? If you’re not then you have the wrong room – or maybe I have the wrong room, OH SHIT! No, it must be you because my key got me in – unless of course you  _are_  William, in which case this is the right room and neither of us are wrong!”

  
            “I’m William.” The young man whispered the words before turning to look at his parents as though to say ‘PLEASE do not leave me with this freak!’

  
            "We’ll see you for Thanksgiving, sweetie.” His mom kissed his forehead and, without another word, his parents left.

  
            “God, I hope that we can be best friends!” Gabe pulled William into a hug. “Or is that too cliché?” he asked, pulling away. “That might be too cliché; let’s just go with really good friends, ok? Here, I can help you unpack, I’m done already and I don’t have anything better to do! Unpacking can be a bitch, don’t you think?”

  
            “I can do it myself.” William shrugged. “I didn’t really bring much.” This became evident quickly as Gabe looked around. The boy had brought one suitcase, a backpack, a laptop and a guitar case; nothing more than clothes, notebooks, his computer and his instrument.

  
            “Ok.” Gabe nodded. “Do you mind if I put on my music? I really think that you might like it.” William shrugged, so Gabe turned on his boom box, filling the room with Spanish pop. William let out a long sigh as he began unpacking.

  
            After that, William pretty much kept to himself, staying in the room alone while Gabe went out to parties, met people, did things and had a good time. The next significant encounter they had was a month into the semester when Gabe got back from class early and overheard William on the phone.

  
            “No, Sisky, you don’t understand,” William said into the phone. “He’s ALWAYS happy and energetic and brightly colored –  _everything_ that I’m not; everything that I hate.”

  
            Gabe frowned, deciding to listen to the conversation from the doorway instead of entering the room and interrupting.

  
            “No, he’s not like you, Sisky, you have  _tact_ ; I’m pretty sure he’s never even  _heard_  the word, let alone possessed any.” William sounded exasperated and upset as he spoke. “I don’t know how much of this I can take, Sisky, I really think that I hate him. I mean he blasts this Spanish pop shit and not only is it upbeat and annoying as fuck, but it’s in another language, I can’t understand it! Not all of us speak Spanish!”

  
            Gabe bit his lip as he listened to William continue to list his faults. He didn’t understand why he was being ridiculed; he had been as nice as he could to William, asking him to do things, go places or even just talk – it was William who turned him down all of the time. He turned and left quietly, being careful to make sure that William didn’t know he had heard the conversation.

  
            After that, Gabe stayed away from the room as much as possible, coming in after William had gone to sleep most nights and leaving quickly in the mornings. He spent time ducking in and out of all of the dorms, visiting with his many acquaintances and friends as much as possible, doing homework in the library, using the practice rooms more than before, all in an attempt to give William his privacy.

  
            Their next significant encounter occurred one night when Gabe was getting back to the room. It was late – one or two in the morning and he expected William to be asleep, but when he got to the room and unlocked it, William was on his bed with his guitar singing his heart out with his eyes closed.

  
            Gabe leaned up against the wall quietly and listened to the song, taking in William’s passion and seeming anger.

 

 _So there you are,_  
And here I stand,  
As far as I remember you weren't half bad.  
Your bedroom behavior was never more then checkmarks on bedposts.  
The more I remember we never had.  
  
Get me outta the rain, you get me out of my clothes.  
Hope I don't make a sound, you hope that nobody knows.  
Get me out of the rain, you get me out of my clothes.  
Hope I don't make a sound, you hope that no one...  
  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.  
  
So don't explain   
Cause I know exactly what your going to say.  
Big words  
Recycled phrases, and the bittersweet taste of other boys on your lips.  
So now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.  
Now just sit here and talk about how you wanted it all.  
  
Get me outta the rain, you get me out of my clothes.  
Hope I don't make a sound, you hope that nobody knows.  
  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.  
  
Do you miss looking up from the floor at my face on a stage in a crowded room?  
Well it's not the same.  
I bet you're still a sucker for those famous faces.  
Downtown, looking down, down, looking over the crowd I hope you're out there. Look at me now.  
Well it's not the same.  
Just look at how we've changed.  
  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.  
So suck your so called pity down.  
Hey, that's not so bad, is it?  
So take your cold, cold heart and drown  
And don't forget to take deep breaths.

 

            Gabe bit his lip as the song finished. William opened his eyes and Gabe turned away immediately.

  
            “Were you listening to me?” William asked, tone almost incredulous.

  
            “No, I was just – I didn’t want to make you stop.” Gabe shook his head. “I wasn’t listening.”

  
            “Then why weren’t you making noise?”

  
            “I just got back,” Gabe retorted. “No time to make noise.”

  
            “Whatever.” William set the guitar on the floor. “I’m going to sleep.” He turned the lights off and crawled under the blankets, closing his eyes. Gabe sighed as he switched to his pajamas and got into his own bed. After all, it was just another failed encounter with his surly room mate.

**Author's Note:**

> I fucking miss this ship. I know this fic isn't very good, but I miss this ship so much. So much that I am posting old, bad fanfiction. Originally posted to my livejournal.
> 
> Also, the song used is, of course, Checkmarks, by The Academy Is...


End file.
